New USS Attack Submarine Sponsored by Second Lady

At Pentagon ceremony Dr Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announce the new sub's name to be 'USS Delaware'.

Wherever the USS Delaware goes after she is launched in 2018, a "piece of my heart will go with her," said Dr. Jill Biden, who will sponsor the Navy's newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.

Delaware's Sen. Tom Carper and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn also attended the ceremony announcing the submarine's name. Vice President Joe Biden also attended the ceremony and donned a blue ball cap bearing the name of the submarine.

This is the seventh U.S. Navy ship namedDelaware, Mabus said. The last USS Delaware was a coal-burning dreadnought that was decommissioned in 1923.

The newest Delaware is designed to handle traditional submarine missions -- finding and sinking enemy submarines and surface ships and launching missiles at targets on land, the secretary said. "But, Delaware will have some non-traditional capabilities as well -- gathering intelligence and delivering Navy SEALs, undetected, to their missions," he added.

Construction of the USS Delaware will begin next year and will be shared by two shipyards -- Huntington Ingalls in Virginia and General Dynamics Electric Boat in